The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has maintained that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will participate in the 2027 general elections despite its ongoing leadership crisis, warning that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and other candidates produced by the faction led by former Senate President David Mark may not appear on the ballot. Keyamo made this clarification in a statement published on his verified X account on Sunday, following growing concerns that a recent Federal High Court judgment could prevent the opposition party from participating in the forthcoming elections. He described suggestions that the entire ADC had been disqualified as misinformation, explaining that the court’s decision primarily affected the disputed leadership structure and candidates produced under the Mark-led faction. He further argued that the party’s original leadership and members remained entitled to participate in the electoral process, regardless of the ongoing dispute.The minister’s comments followed a ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja, which nullified the David Mark-led caretaker leadership of the ADC and invalidated decisions taken by the faction, including the presidential primary that produced Atiku as the party’s candidate for the 2027 election. The judgment was delivered by Justice Peter Lifu in a suit instituted by Nafiu Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, who challenged the process through which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee assumed leadership. Gombe argued that he was constitutionally entitled to take over following the resignation of the former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu. Reacting to criticism of the ruling, Keyamo questioned why candidates who successfully emerged through the party’s original leadership structure should be denied their political rights in favour of those produced by the disputed faction. He also maintained that the rights of other party members deserved equal consideration, regardless of their political affiliations or influence.Meanwhile, the ADC and Atiku have rejected the judgment and indicated their intention to challenge it through the appropriate legal channels, with the former Vice-President insisting that nothing would prevent him from contesting the 2027 presidential election. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has also maintained that it would not take a position on the party’s leadership dispute until it obtains and examines the certified true copy of the court judgment. The outcome of the legal proceedings is expected to determine which faction has the legitimate authority to represent the ADC and nominate candidates for the forthcoming elections. Keyamo stressed that the party’s participation should not be confused with the eligibility of candidates produced by the disputed leadership, insisting that the final decision of the Supreme Court would determine Atiku’s political fate under the ADC platform. The controversy has further intensified political tensions ahead of the 2027 elections, raising fresh questions about internal party democracy, candidate selection and the influence of judicial decisions on Nigeria’s opposition politics.
